New York-AIRE Ancient Baths

Intimate spa in Tribeca

Hidden behind one of TriBeCa's imposing but elegant wrought-iron facades, AIRE Ancient Baths is an address that should leave you feeling relaxed. It's hard to imagine that the basements of this chic spa contain a series of baths and pools dug into the ground.

Arranged throughout this vast room, small candles light up the brick walls to give the place the appearance of a Roman underground gallery. In this subdued atmosphere, fluorescent blue pools emerge. You slide one foot into it, quickly caught up by the rest of the body. There is no shortage of baths to choose from. Hot water, ice water, we alternate one and the other for an invigorating sensation. Bubbling water attracts and retains the less adventurous. And yet, bubbles don't pretend! Fans of vaporous water will head to the narrow glass room that houses the steam room. For those who like to let themselves be carried away, the salt water bath guarantees total relaxation.

After floating from bath to bath for an hour and a half, you can complete your relaxation session with a massage lasting from 15 minutes to one hour. Other treatments and services are offered such as a wine bath, a milk bath or a four-hand massage... The establishment ensures the tranquility of the spa by welcoming a limited number of bathers per hour. Count $138 for access to the pools followed by a 30-minute massage.